Encouraging Word for Today

Now this the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1John 5:14,15

That is an awesome promise. I think there are many prayers prayed in which there is no expectation of getting an answer. Unfortunately, we most often get what we expect. Do you believe God hears your prayers? Jesus walked in that confidence. As He stood outside Lazarus' tomb in John 11:41-43 He said, "Father, I thank you that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." He had absolute confidence that the Father heard His prayers. He expressed that in the people's hearing for their benefit and it is recorded for our benefit as well. He knew that the Father always heard Him. He could be confident in knowing His prayer was answered because He knew the Father heard Him.

In the first John passage there are only two requirements to answered prayer: 1) Praying the will of the Father and 2) Confidence.   When we speak of the will of God in this passage it is not broad generalities, but specifics. The type of prayers mentioned here are petitions (specific requests)." If it be Thy will is not a specific confident prayer." In the Lord's model prayer Jesus says to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. That is not an iffy prayer; it is a confident prayer expressed in aorist tense, imperative mood. His kingdom invading a situation is His will.

One might ask , "How do I know His will?" Without getting into a long teaching, let me bring Romans 12:2 to your attention. It is the renewing of the mind that gives us transformation and the ability to discern the will of God. How is the mind renewed? It is renewed by the washing of the water of the word and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Be confident when you pray that your Father hears and that He will answer. Jesus' thanking the Father for Him was an example for us. He knew that the Father heard Him and that Lazarus was coming forth from that tomb because the Father had heard Him. John is saying we can have that same confidence and know that our prayers are answered. 

Encouraging Word for Today

I am often encouraged by the Psalms. I guess that's because in the writings of David I find a man who experienced great trials and great triumphs and we find him going through every range of emotion. So often he was grieved, rejected, or in pain and we see him pouring his heart out before the Lord. If we are honest we all can identify with many of David's feelings. Some of you may be dealing with discouragement today. I remember a time years ago when going through a time of discouragement, that I received Psalms 27:13, 14 from three different sources. I knew the Lord was speaking to me.  So as you read these verses today, let them stir hope in your heart.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord. Psalms 27:13,14  

      As we look at what's going on in our nation, there is opportunity to be discouraged. I have fallen prey to that discouragement on occasion. I guess one of the things that disturbs me most is that there are so many who are not even aware of the course of destruction we as a nation have embarked upon. Many place their hopes in a political party, or a politician. The government has become their answer, their source. The answer is not in the democratic party or the republican party. In the natural the damage done cannot be fixed. Many in the church are asleep; it is almost as if they think the United States is exempt from suffering. Others look to the rapture as the great escape. I am not a prophet of gloom and doom, but just looking at things logically there is no avoiding economic collapse.

      I am not going on a long discourse today, to expound on the problems of and the threats to our nation. I am more interested in putting my focus where it belongs. As we have said already politics is not the answer. So, what is the answer? The psalmist said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." He was not looking for the hills to help; he was looking to the one who created the hills. It is time to recognize that it's broke and the best of men can't fix it. Yes, we need to be informed, responsible citizens and vote for men and women who adhere to godly principles, but the best of men cannot save our nation. It is time for our nation to call upon God. Our hope is in God and God alone.